This disclosure relates generally to the field of wager games and more particularly to methods and apparatus that facilitate the use of “nudge” features in reel-type game. The methods are applicable in a variety of game playing formats, for example physical slot machines, electronic video gaming terminals, and computer workstations playing wager games over a computer network.
In reel-type games such as slots, one or more reels are provided, each of which contain a multitude of symbols distributed around the circumference of the reel. When a player places a wager (e.g., by placing a coin in the machine) they are then permitted to spin the reels. Each reel comes to rest, with typically with either one of the symbols, or a space in between the symbols, in alignment with a pay line. The player wins according to whether a particular winning symbol or combination of symbols is present on the pay line. In a simple three-reel slot machine game, the pay line is the horizontal line going across the middle of the reels. In other reel-type games, such as an array of 3×5 symbols which all “spin” during a turn of play, the “pay line” refers to a particular combination of positions of symbols in the 3×5 array which are used to determine if a winning result was achieved.
The game of slots can be played on a video gaming terminal with a graphical user interface, e.g., a dedicated gaming machine such as found in a casino. In the case of a video gaming terminal, the user interface displays an image of a set of reels. Animation effects are used to simulate the spinning action. A computer software program, which may be resident in the video gaming terminal, generates a random result for a simulated spin of the reels, and the result is presented on the user interface.
Slots games are also played over a computer network, e.g., by a player using a personal computer which has established a connection to a gaming server. In this later situation, the gaming server generates results of play and transmits the results over the computer network to the computer for display.
The popularity of video slot games has increased due to the incorporation of a “nudge” feature into such video slot games. In a video slot game with a nudge feature, once the reels of the game come to rest (i.e. stop spinning), visible symbols will move onto the centre pay line from just above it or below it, adding to the suspense of the game. Alternatively, the nudge feature may form part of a bonus game which, when triggered, provides a player with a predetermined number of nudges to use, allowing the player to move any of the reels upwards (or downwards) one position at a time in an attempt to give rise to winning pay line symbol combinations or bonus-triggering combinations.
It is desirable to adapt such nudge features in novel ways to further enhance the entertainment value and suspense of video slot games.